Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Blue Suede Shoes - Repost

This weekend I was at my dad's house helping him get some things out of his closet that he no longer wears. He reached way back into the closet and pulled out, believe it or not, a pair of blue suede shoes! When I saw them it reminded me of a blog entry I posted over a year and a half ago. I hope it speaks to you like it did me.

Have you ever had a song pop into your mind and you have no idea why. Last week the song Blue Suede Shoes popped into my mind and I cannot get it out. I don't know where the song came from, most of you know that I like oldies music but I only go back to the late 70's or 80's, not the 50's and 60's. Blue Suede Shoes was originally written by Carl Perkins in 1955 and Elvis covered it in the 60's. Apparently Johnny Cash joined Carl Perkins for a show in Amory, Mississippi. He suggests that Carl write a song based on a saying he had heard in the chow line while he was in the service, "Don't step on my blue suede shoes." A few nights later Perkins was playing in Jackson, Tennessee, when he noticed a couple dancing near the stage. The girl was gorgeous, he thought, and the boy wore blue suede shoes. As they danced the boy cautioned his date "don't step on my suedes." Perkins was bewildered that a guy would value shoes over a beautiful girl. It connected with the idea that Cash had given him. At three o'clock the following morning, Perkins awakens with the genesis of the song in his head. He goes downstairs and writes out the lyrics in pencil on an empty potato bag. (Wikipedia)

So why am I telling you this? First, the teacher in me wants to give you a little history lesson. Second, I looked up the lyrics for the song and the chorus says this:

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,

Honey, lay off of my shoes

Dont you step on my blue suede shoes.

You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.

I began to think, what are my Blue Suede Shoes in the eyes of God? Like the guy at the dance that Perkins saw back in 1955. How could he value his shoes over this beautiful girl. What do we hold on to and value so highly that we tell God, "You can do anything but don't ____________!", "You can do anything but don't step on my health and well being!", "You can do anything but don't ask me to witness to my neighbor!", "You can do anything but lay off my bank account!", "You can do anything but don't ask me to go to the homeless shelter!"

Listen to what Paul said in Philippians:

Philippians 3: 4- 6 - If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

These were Paul's Blue Suede Shoes, who he was, what he did, what he valued, his standing in society. But God stepped all over them and Paul was a better man because of it. Paul continues...

Philippians 3: 7-11 - 7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

My guess is you are like me in that you have some favorite, custom, expensive Blue Suede Shoes that you value highly. You keep them in the garage, the bank vault, the house, bringing them out for special occasions, not wanting them to get stepped on or soiled or lost. Don't value your stuff over what God has asked us to do for His Kingdom. If God messes up or steps on your finances, your time, your resources, you will be better for it. Just ask Paul.